Beautiful

Learn how to play Beautiful on one acoustic guitar!

Originally performed on the piano, it would have been tempting to use a capo when arranging it on one acoustic since the song uses chords like Eb, Ab and Fm.

Instead, for ‘Beautiful’ we use only barre chords throughout which does make it difficult for the fretting hand.

Some relief happens over the Eb chord which is in a C shape and can use the open G string. This doesn’t give the chord any strange extensions as it’s just the 3rd of the chord.

In this first video lesson, you’ll see how to play all barre chords for ‘Beautiful’ from beginning to end.

Chord progression

The chords could be seen as if played in either the key of Eb or Ab.

Depending on which you choose, the roman numerals will be different. We look further into this when you take the full course.

Once translated to letters, this is what the chords become for the intro/verse/instrumental/m8 and outro sections:

| Eb | Db | Cm | B |

The chorus starts on chord I if you think of it as if it’s in the key of Ab. It starts on chord IV if you think of it as if it’s in the key of Eb.

| Ab | Fm | Eb Db | Cm | x2
| Fm |

Take the intermediate course and you’ll learn more about how to view this progression. There’s also complete TAB for exactly how it’s played in the video lessons.

Chord shapes and extensions

It’s tricky to fret chords in keys such as Eb and Ab when you don’t play with a capo. All chords will be barre chords.

To get some relief, I use a C shaped Eb chord. Because the chord Eb has a G inside it, we can use the open G string. I also add the little finger on string 1. This adds a 5th to the top of chord shape.

For the B chord, I use the open B string. Since it’s played in an A shape we lose the ability to make it a minor or major chord. It becomes just a 5 chord (a chord with no 3rd).

During the m8, a new B chord shape is introduced. This time it’s in an E shape. We still use the open B but now have a 3rd on the third string. The open E string is what makes this B chord a Badd11 chord.